When Meleia Knight, 63, was diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer at age 52, she never anticipated the role her newfound fitness community would play in her journey and recovery.
“When I turned 50, I decided I wanted to be ‘heart healthy,’” she recalls. She started joining the Fleet Feet women’s running group for jogs of any length. To complement her new cardio routine, Meleia began incorporating group strength-training sessions at Fusion Fitness, a family-owned fitness studio near her work offering small-group strength training, boot camps, dance, personal training and nutrition coaching.
So when Meleia was diagnosed with cancer just two years later, she didn’t know what to do. “I had to tell my instructor because the aggressive treatment I was to begin would impact what I could do in class,” she says. “Everyone showed up wearing breast cancer pink the next day.”
Meleia is a cheerful woman with a lot of heart and, before chemotherapy, even bigger hair. “When I began chemo, I lost all my hair in 11 days. I was apprehensive about showing up at Fusion Fitness, where the owners’ three young boys might be afraid of how I looked. But the oldest boy, at 10 years old, walked up to me and said, ‘God, you look so pretty,’ and I’ll never forget that.”
Despite the many setbacks Meleia experienced during her treatment, including medically induced early menopause, waning strength, fatigue, and weight gain, she kept showing up, approaching every setback like a skilled hurdler.
“Owners Mike and Erica Hill and everyone at Fusion Fitness have been so supportive and are like family to me. There’s camaraderie and friendship that you don’t find at other gyms,” she says. “They would modify my exercises and always let me know how great I was doing. We high-five each other when someone reaches a personal goal. Working out during my chemo was a motivating safe space for me, where I knew I was gonna feel better after,” she explains.
Her sense of community extended beyond Fusion Fitness, too. Meleia received her cancer treatment at West Clinic, where she says the team of surgeons, nurse practitioners, and oncologists also became part of her ever-growing family. “Everyone was so sweet and passionate about taking care of me,” she gushes.
Now, a decade into cancer-free living and rocking a shorter hairdo, Meleia continues to exercise with her Fusion Fitness family, attending 5:15 a.m. group fitness classes and running 5Ks and 10Ks with her friends at the 901 Sole Sisters. She even takes road bike rides through Victory Bicycles alongside a friend who was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago.
“Sometimes I’ll work out and look in the mirror at myself. In class they’ll ask, ‘Are you over there flexin?’ And I say, ‘Sure am!’ I’m just so proud.”
Since becoming cancer-free, Meleia has worked closely with trainer Mike Hill to regain her strength and recover from bone loss. She has also taken Erica Hill’s nutrition advice to heart. “I get my drive from them, of never wanting to give up, from the whole group.”
These days, Meleia says, “I work out, I run, I have muscles, and I can keep up with my grandkids! You just have to start and try to work your way up,” before offering a helping hand.
Instagram: meleia_k, fusionfitness
Photo by Tindall Stephens
